Wausau School District. MWC file photo.
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) – Parents from the Wausau area are speaking out and signing a petition urging the Wausau school board to halt its redistricting plan.
“What we want is for the board to present a straightforward option of the redistricting plan and gauge the public’s interest level,” petition creator Norah Brown told WSAU.
Brown is also concerned about how the district reached out to and surveyed parents, saying, “I think a lot of surveys were sent out that could’ve been skewed to show support either for or against and there was not a clear way to state an opinion on this plan.”
Superintendent Keith Hilts says he’s aware of the petition and isn’t against a non-binding referendum as part of the April 2024 non-partisan election, but he says it’s not his call to put the item before the public like that. “We can, but that’ll be a board decision. We will research that for the board and bring some options [to a future meeting,] and talk to some communication experts and see what the board wants to do.”
The item was discussed at length during a restructuring update on Monday, during which some board members expressed support for the idea but only after more community dialog. The deadline to put a referendum question on the April 4th ballot was back in January, meaning the April 2024 election is the next available opportunity for such a vote.
The school district has previously emphasized the numerous opportunities for parents in the community to come and make public comments to the board about the plan.
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Parents who are concerned about the district’s proposal and want more information about the petition can visit Change.org to learn more. As of Monday evening, the petition had over 1,200 signatures. The district has also created a special restructuring website under its homepage to provide information on the plan, and leaders are hoping to schedule quarterly public meetings to allow for face-to-face dialog on the issue.
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